A Luau experience by Gilligan's Island Luau. Back to all Maui tours.
Tour Summary: The cheapest luau on Maui, on the golf-course patio at Maui Nui in Kīhei. It is smaller and quieter than the big resort shows, with a Hawaiian buffet and open bar, though the sunset is over the fairway, not the ocean.
A dancer performs during the Polynesian revue on the golf-course patio at Maui Nui Golf Club in Kīhei.
6 Tour Highlights:
- Emcee who explains the meaning of each dance
- Smaller crowd than the big resort luaus
- Samoan fire-knife finale
- All-you-can-eat Hawaiian buffet with kalua pork and panko-crusted mahi mahi
- Open bar with tropical drinks, house wine, and beer
- Sunset over the Maui Nui golf course in Kīhei
Important: Seats are assigned in the order tickets are bought, not when you arrive, so book early if you want a clear view: the stage is at ground level, and from the back rows you lose sight of the dancers behind the crowd.
Tour Information:
| Price: | Adult | Youth |
|---|---|---|
| (excluding taxes & fees) | $168.54 | $115.54 |
Price note: Sold in two seating tiers. General is $168.54 per adult and $115.54 per child; VIP is $210.94 per adult and $157.94 per child, about $42 more per adult, and adds priority check-in, front seating, and a lei on arrival. The child price covers ages 4 to 12, and toddlers 3 and under are free.
Tour Provider: Gilligan's Island Luau
Activity: Luau
Tour start time: 5:00pm (October to February), 5:30pm (March to September)
Duration: 2 hours
Location: South Maui
Pick-up available? No
Included: All-you-can-eat Hawaiian buffet. Open bar. Polynesian dance show. Samoan fire-knife finale. Live Hawaiian music. Lei on arrival (VIP tier)
Cancellations: Full refund or credit with 24 hours notice, by phone. You also get a full refund or credit if the operator cancels for weather or other reasons. No-shows are charged the full price.
Read more: about luau in our Maui luau guide.
About this luau
At $168.54 per adult, Gilligan’s Island Luau is the cheapest luau on Maui, and the crowd is smaller than at the big resort shows. It runs on the patio at Gilligan’s Bar & Grill inside Maui Nui Golf Club in Kīhei, with the sun dropping behind the golf course at showtime. This is a fairway sunset, not an oceanfront one.
The show and the buffet
A Polynesian revue moves through Hawaiian, Fijian, Maori, and Tahitian dance and closes with a Samoan fire-knife dancer, backed by live Hawaiian musicians and a drummer. An emcee narrates and explains the meaning of each dance as it goes. The evening runs 2 hours.
Dinner is an all-you-can-eat Hawaiian buffet: kalua pork, teriyaki chicken, panko-crusted mahi mahi in a lemon-dill cream, lomi lomi salmon, poi, white rice, Molokaʻi sweet potato, mac salad, Hawaiian sweet rolls with honey butter, and a green salad with pineapple vinaigrette. Dessert is chocolate haupia (coconut pudding) pie, white-chocolate macadamia cookies, lilikoʻi (passion fruit) bars, and fresh pineapple. The open bar pours tropical drinks, well drinks, house wine, beer, and non-alcoholic drinks.
General vs VIP seating
Both tiers get the same food and show. What changes is your seat and how you’re greeted. The stage sits at ground level, so from the back rows the dancers disappear behind the heads and support posts in front.
General Seating
Your table is assigned in the order tickets were bought, not when you arrive. Book well ahead if a clear view of the stage matters to you.
VIP Seating
VIP runs $210.94 per adult, about $42 over General, and adds priority check-in, premium front seating, and a lei on arrival: a fresh flower lei for women, a kukui nut lei for men. VIP guests are seated first. Pay up if a clear view matters to you or you’re arriving on a busy night; skip it if you booked early and don’t mind sitting farther back.
Start times, parking, and the drive from West Maui
The luau runs Sunday through Friday and is closed Saturday. Seating starts at 5:00pm from October through February and 5:30pm from March through September, with VIP guests seated first and general seating about ten minutes later. Park at the Maui Nui Golf Club clubhouse lot. All ages are welcome, and the check-in details are in your booking confirmation.
If you’re staying in West Maui around Lāhainā or Kāʻanapali, leave early. Debris-removal traffic still causes delays on that stretch, and the operator gives no refunds for late arrivals stuck in it. Kīhei is central, so most south and central Maui stays are a short drive. Cancel by phone at least 24 hours ahead for a full refund or credit.
Why book it, and where it falls short
This is the luau to book if price is your first concern. It beats the pricier resort shows on crowd size, and the emcee takes time to explain what each dance means. The fire-knife finale holds younger kids’ attention.
The food is basic for the price. The stage sits at ground level, so people in the back rows crane past those in front. As of September 2026 it held 4.3 stars on TripAdvisor, though the reviews aren’t uniform, and the most pointed ones describe crowded tables and a fire dance too short for the ticket. Book it for the price and the central Kīhei location, not for the meal or a resort-grade show.
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Booking through this page costs you nothing extra and is made directly with Gilligan's Island Luau. We earn a commission from the operator, not from you, and it is what pays for the research that keeps lovebigisland.com free and free of paid placement. We only list operators we would send a friend to. Details on our affiliate links are here.